Depths of Despair
by Thoughts
Summary: *chap. one completed!* Rowen keeps forgetting things, his grades have dropped, and he had become socially withdrawn. Can his friends find out what’s wrong before he does something drastic? R


Depths of Despair  
  
By Thoughts  
  
Chapter 1: Late for School  
  
  
  
Silently walking through a deepening void.  
  
=This is a line from the poem: Emptiness, written by Michelle Jones=  
  
The boy's wild black hair blew softly in the wind as he walked. His backpack slung over his shoulder. His blue eyes shown with happiness as he gazed up at the clear sky. People he met up with always said that his eyes looked like a tiger's. He didn't know if that was correct or not, so one day he decided to look in the mirror after looking at Whiteblaze's eyes and saw that it was true. He had stared at the mirror in surprise, then slowly he turned his head to look down at the tiger who stood beside him. "I guess they were right."  
  
He had long ago grown used to comments he received about his eyes.  
  
Only now he laughed silently to himself, wondering what the kids at school would think if they ever found out that he had a tiger. Of course he never planned to tell them, that would be a big mistake.  
  
His nine mile walk soon ended as he approached the school that he went to. The boy didn't really enjoy coming to the city with all of it's hustle and bustle, but he had to. His grandparents made sure of that. He was glad though, for he would have never met up with the four boys that had become his best friends.  
  
"Hey Cye, Kento," he waved at the two familiar faces.  
  
"Hi Ryo!"  
  
Ryo ran to catch up to the two, "So, what's up?"  
  
"Not much."  
  
"Oh yeah there is. Another boring year of school!" Kento said. "I hope that they have better food this year."  
  
"School food? Get any better? I don't think so." Ryo made a face, signifying his thoughts on the food. "They don't have enough money in their budget to buy better food anyway."  
  
"I don't know how you can survive on that stuff Kento," Cye said.  
  
"Easy," the ashen blue haired boy smiled, "Tough stomach."  
  
"No, that's not it, you don't have any taste buds."  
  
"Yeah I do." Kento defended himself.  
  
Ryo smiled at their antics, "Either way, you're able to survive that food somehow."  
  
The three entered the school, Ryo smiling, Kento frowning (though it looked more like a pout), and Cye patting Kento on the shoulder to let him know that he was just kidding.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
In the middle, the boy's hair lay parallel with his head, but as it went closer to the sides, the blonde locks curled upwards till they ended in sharp points. Over his right eye, his hair hung low, covering up half of his face.  
  
There was a reason behind his peculiar hair style, and it wasn't because he wanted to be cool, or different. Not at all. When he first came to school, the other kids were scared of the intensity of his eyes. After his parents heard about this, they told him to find some way to cover one of his eyes. Amazingly he was able to get his hair to grow over his right eye, and since then, it was capable of staying that way.  
  
His friends always questioned him about his hair style and how he was able to keep it to stay.  
  
"Yeah," Kento had asked when the topic came up, "How much hair gel do you use?"  
  
"None," he had answered.  
  
"Su-ure, whatever you say Sage."  
  
The blonde closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head at the memory with a smile. Everyone of his friends found some way to make fun of each other, and an occasional breakout of wrestling wasn't unusual.  
  
Sage opened his eyes and grabbed the books that he needed out of his locker before closing it. He turned to drop off his stuff in his first hour class and then return to wait for his friends; but he quickly dismissed the idea when he saw three of them coming down the hallway.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"So, what classes are you taking?" Kento asked.  
  
"Uh, wait a minute."  
  
The ashen blue haired boy patiently watched Ryo shrug off his backpack and search through it for his schedule.  
  
"There's Sage," Cye spoke up, pointing out the blonde when he got his two friends' attention.  
  
Ryo delayed his search and followed after the other two as they walked towards their blonde friend.  
  
"Where's Rowen?" Sage asked, looking at each of them as his silent way of saying hello.  
  
When Ryo answered, his head was bent over, resulting in a muffled voice, "He hasn't gotten here yet."  
  
"What are you looking for?" Sage gave the black haired boy an inquiring look.  
  
"My schedule. Ah here it is!" Ryo drew out the wanted paper and straightened his head to look it over.  
  
"Alright! So, what's your first class?" Kento asked.  
  
"Algebra."  
  
Kento winced, "Ouch."  
  
"Looks like we're in the same class then," Sage said, letting the others see his schedule.  
  
"That is if we have the same teacher," Ryo glanced at the paper in Sage's hand. "You're right, same teacher, same class."  
  
"I have one question," Kento said, "Why do they always have more then one teacher for one type class?"  
  
"There are a lot of students," Cye answered, "You can't expect one teacher to teach all of them do you? I mean think about it: We'd be here all day, and maybe all night if that's the way they set it up."  
  
"Hummm good point. It's annoying though. Having all those different teachers all teaching the same class! I know why they do it, but it's still annoying."  
  
BRING!  
  
"I'm going to head to class," Cye said after the warning bell sounded, "It's way on the other side of the building, so I'd better get going, or I'll be late."  
  
"Okay then, see ya latta Cye," Kento waved his friend good-bye.  
  
"Bye." "Bye."  
  
After the auburn haired boy disappeared around the corner, the last three boys stood in silence for a few seconds. Although it didn't last very long.  
  
"Okay, one quick q that I should have asked all of ya," Kento said, "Who's going to what lunch?"  
  
"Um.I think they're the same as last year's lunches," Sage said.  
  
"Ah man! I was hoping they'd be different this year. Ya know, like they'd have it sorted by teachers. Er, I mean, the teacher before your lunch hour."  
  
"You just want to be with that one girl don't you?"  
  
"No! Of course not, I just want to eat lunch with Cye," Kento said, defending himself.  
  
"I think Cye's actually glad that you don't share lunch with him Kento. I remember that last year you always ate his food."  
  
"Hey, I can't help it if he's a good cook!" Kento said, "Come on Ryo, help me out here bud!"  
  
"Sorry, can't, it's the awful truth." Ryo said, holding his hands up in the air, "You've got to face it one of these days."  
  
"Yeah, nice day to be on Sage's side!" Kento made a face at the black haired boy.  
  
"Oh, he's on everyone's side," Sage laughed.  
  
"Uh-huh, everyone's 'cept mine!"  
  
"Not true," Ryo said, "Remember that one time when Cye blamed you for eating all of the snacks?"  
  
"Okay, but that was only once." Kento said, raising his index finger to magnify the number.  
  
"Well once is more than never."  
  
"Hum," Kento made another face. "I'm going." He turned towards the direction of his first class and walked away.  
  
"So that leaves us two to wait for Rowen," Ryo said.  
  
"Speaking of which, where is he? Normally he comes here early," Sage glanced around the hallway.  
  
"That is unless he slept in."  
  
"Maybe," Sage said as he stared out the large window on the other side of the hallway, doubt plaguing his face.  
  
Ryo looked closely at his friend and frowned, "Something wrong?"  
  
"No, uh, maybe," the blonde turned to look back at Ryo, "I saw Rowen walking downtown, but when I called to him, he acted as if he didn't even hear me."  
  
"Maybe he didn't."  
  
"I know he did. There weren't a lot of people there. He should have been able to hear me."  
  
"Hum." Ryo's frown deepened. "Well, maybe he was in deep thought or something. Ya know. He blocks out everything going on around him when he does that. You ought to know, you do it too."  
  
"Yeah," Sage nodded, but doubt still plagued his face.  
  
The conversation was soon brought to a close when the warning bell sounded, telling them that they had one more minute before they would be late for class.  
  
BRING!  
  
As they walked to their algebra class, Ryo noticed that Sage was lagging behind, always glancing over his shoulder to see if Rowen was coming.  
  
"Look why don't you stay out here and wait for him," Ryo said, "Then you can go to the office and get yourself a pass."  
  
Sage nodded, "Alright."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Ryo looked up when he saw his blonde friend walk past him to sit down in the desk in front of him. "Did you see him?"  
  
"No," Sage turned around in his chair to give a worried look at Ryo, "I don't know where he is."  
  
"I thought he'd be here by now. This isn't like him. Rowen is never late."  
  
Sage frowned, "I know."  
  
"Well, maybe he's got a reason. You better turn around before we get in trouble."  
  
Sage nodded and did as Ryo suggested.  
  
The teacher had already gone through the introductions when Sage had entered the classroom, so he opened his textbook to the page everyone was on. Even though he tried his best to pay attention to what the teacher was saying he couldn't do it without thinking about Rowen and his strange behavior. He didn't believe what Ryo had told him. Rowen never spaced out that badly. That and Sage knew that he had sensed something dark surrounding the blue haired boy's aura. Something was wrong with him.but what? Sage sighed, he didn't know what but he planned to find out as soon as he saw Rowen.  
  
"Mr. Date?"  
  
"Huh?" Sage blinked back to reality and realized that the teacher had called on him.  
  
"Do you know the answer or is there something going on it that head of yours that the class should know about?"  
  
"Um.what was the question again?" He could feel his face flush with embarrassment as the other students looked at him, a few hiding their snickering behind raised hands.  
  
"2x+5=17, please give me the value of x."  
  
"Um.is it.six?"  
  
"Remarkable, you had no idea what the answer was, but you got it right on the first guess." Sage winced at his words. "Now. I'd like it if you would pay attention to what's going on up here." The teacher slapped his pointer against the front board.  
  
"Yes Kakato-Sensei."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
With the third hour over, the hallways were filled with students, half of them trying to get to their next classes, the other half trying to get to the commons. Some of them went one way, the rest went the other, in such a fashion that it sort of reminded Kento of traffic on a highway. He was glad that they did it, it made it easier for him to get to the commons as fast as possible.  
  
He was usually one the first to get out of class and get in line at lunch. He knew that if he was too slow he would have to stand in line and wait forever before he could eat. Then he'd have to gulp all of his food down just so that he could get everything eaten before he had to leave for forth hour. Though to his friends, it wouldn't really make much of a difference. They told him that he ate like a starved animal even if he made it before the crowd. But he didn't care what they thought, he was hungry, he was going to eat anyway he knew how!  
  
Kento took his heaping tray of food and sat down at the usual bench. He attacked his lunch without waiting for the others. They'd come soon enough, and maybe he could steal some food from them if he finished his own fast enough.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Number one reason why I don't like the city!" Ryo mumbled to himself as he walked through the crowded hallway. Unlike Kento, who was lucky enough to get the highway like crowd, the black haired boy had to weave around everyone. The majority of the students going to the commons were already there, and the B lunch group was just standing around in the hallways talking to their friends and waiting for the bell to ring so they could head to their next classes. Most of the people were nice enough to move out of the way, but some, for example the popular, would only stand there ignoring everyone as if they were inferior. Ryo knew that if he had moved faster he wouldn't have to deal with this. But he wasn't one of those people who rushed forward and crammed their way ahead of everyone else. So he had to deal with what came with being one of the last students to leave.  
  
He finally reached the commons and only had to deal with standing in line, hoping no one would budge. Why people did that he wouldn't know. Well he did know, but it was a stupid reason. "Hey, move it!"  
  
Ryo looked behind him and saw a teenager glaring at him with impatience. "I can't move till-"  
  
"The kid moved, now you move!"  
  
"Number two reason why I hate the city," he muttered under his breath. People were just too impatient; everyone wanted this or that right now and not later. The calm tranquil setting of nature made him appreciate the steady going of the creatures living there.  
  
After telling the lunch assistant his lunch number, he took his tray of food and walked over to where Kento was sitting.  
  
"Can I have some of your lunch?" Kento asked when Ryo sat down.  
  
"No, sorry, I'm hungry today."  
  
"Eh," Kento shrugged. "Maybe Rowen will let me have some of his."  
  
"If he's even here."  
  
"Whatcha you mean?"  
  
"Sage and I didn't see him this morning. Sage even stayed out late to catch Rowen coming in. He didn't see him."  
  
"He might be sick today."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Cye looked down at his doodle of a dolphin. They were such playful creatures, it seemed like everything was a game to them. He let out a sigh; he missed his home by the sea. Waking to the sounds of the sea birds, the smells of the salt water, and the smiles of his ill mother.  
  
"Did you draw that?" He looked up at the dark brown haired girl gazing at his picture in awe.  
  
"Yeah, but it's just a quick sketch."  
  
"Quick sketch!" the girl blinked, then smiled in laughter, her eyes sparkling. "Well that's better than I could do! I can't draw even if my life depended on it!"  
  
Cye could feel his face turn pink from the compliment. "Thanks," he bowed his head, trying to hide his blush.  
  
"Hum," the girl nodded with closed eyes, smiling, turning to find her seat.  
  
Cye turned his attention to the door, watching his classmates file in. His face lit up when he spotted a dark blue haired boy wearing a long sleeved sweatshirt, even though it was spring. "Hi Rowen."  
  
The boy ignored him, and walked past, taking up a seat in the back of the classroom. Cye lowered his wave, his smile disappearing, wondering what was wrong with him. The boy's face looked so vacant that it made the auburn haired boy shutter involuntarily.  
  
Miss. Setsuna straightened her papers on the flat of her desk and cleared her throat, calling for the attention of her class. "Alright everyone, listen up. Some of you already know me from last year, but for those of you who don't, my name is Miss. Setsuna. I only require a few simple rules, number one, respect everyone. Do not interrupt someone when they are speaking. If you have a question, or an answer, please raise your hand until I call on you. Number two, hand in your homework completed. I don't want to see any blanks on your papers. If you have questions, I'm here to answer them. Number three, use the time I give you. If I find that you are goofing around in class you will not get makeup time. If you were unable to complete your homework even if you used your time wisely, I will give you one or two more days to finish. Is that understood? Good. Mitzu, Shin, will you two please hand out the textbooks?"  
  
The teacher used the remaining forty minutes going through the introductions to college prep. Biology. When the bell ran Miss. Setsuna announced her last minute instructions over the shuffling sounds of closing books and standing students. It was the first day of school and they already had homework! Cye scooped up his stuff and caught sight of the dark blue haired boy passing by. He quickly weaved through the remaining students and caught up. "What's wrong Rowen? Is everything okay at home?"  
  
"Nothing, leave me alone."  
  
Cye stopped and stared wide eyed at his friend's retreating back. He was too shocked by Rowen's reply that he didn't even shiver at the icy tone the boy spoke in.  
  
"Hey, your friend forgot his stuff."  
  
"Oh...uh, thanks," Cye took the book from the kind student.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
It was after school and the three friends were walking side by side, Kento closest to the road, Cye in the middle, and Sage by the curb. Ryo had mentioned something about a soccer practice meeting and Rowen was no where to be found.  
  
"So, how was the first day of school?" Kento asked offhandedly.  
  
"Same ole, same ole," Sage answered, not too happy about his thoughts being interrupted. "The only class I'm sharing is with Ryo first hour."  
  
"Rowen is in my c.p. bio. class. He's out of it...I know something's wrong."  
  
"What do you mean?" Sage asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.  
  
"Well, he wouldn't participate, he just sat there."  
  
"Then he did come to school." Kento interrupted. "I bet he slept in and he didn't feel all there."  
  
"C.p. bio. is my fifth hour." Cye said with a raised eyebrow, killing Kento's suggestion.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He forgot his book," Cye raised the biology textbook. "I'm going to drop it off at his house tonight."  
  
"I'll take it." Sage offered.  
  
The book was handed over. "I wrote the assignment on a slip of paper. It should be in there."  
  
"An assignment! Wow.most of my teachers were generous enough to talk about the class rules all day." Kento blurted.  
  
"Miss. Setsuna went over the rules. Besides, it's not really that big of an assignment. All we have to do is write a sentence or two about biology and how it relates to the environment, medicine, and you."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The darkness of night hung in the cold air, lit only by the city lights, driving away the starry sky from view. There was no fear to hold onto but for the concern that he held inside when Sage Date left his house for Rowen's. Nothing sunk the peaceful outlook he seemed to have on everything, but like so many other rules, this one had an exception. Even though he convinced himself that Rowen did have some rough spots in his life, he certainly wouldn't revert to being a stranger. He hoped that his little visit would help, perhaps, he'd even get some answers.  
  
Drawing his coat around him to protect himself from the sudden gust of cold wind, he glanced behind him to watch as a wadded piece of paper bounced along on its wild journey down the sidewalk. A symbol. He narrowed his eyebrows in thought but shook off the feeling he was getting, continuing to his destination. Everything was becoming symbols to him now a days. He was placing a lot of attention towards little things, perhaps too much.  
  
Sage finally reached his house and knocked on the door, stepping back to wait for an answer. He stood waiting for ten minutes before knocking again. "Come on Rowen.don't be asleep." he shifted the textbook under one of his arms and rubbed his hands together, blowing on them to keep them warm.  
  
At last Rowen came to the door and cracked it just enough that he could see the other boy's nervous blue eye staring out at him. ".S-Sage?."  
  
"Hey, can I come it? It's cold out here." Sage shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for him to answer.  
  
"No." he finally responded, shutting the door with a slam.  
  
Blinking in surprise, all Sage could do was stand there. "That.was strange." He tried the door and frowned when it was locked. There had to be another way to get in.The windows! he realized when he glanced around the side of the house.  
  
He set the book on the ground and preceded to open the nearest window but stopped when he saw Rowen pacing back and forth inside the house, muttering something. Sage ducked down under the window seal, straining his ears to hear what he was saying.  
  
"He's here.Sage is here." the ronin of air's voice was quiet, fright edging the trembling quivers of his words. Another voice replied, rough and scratchy, almost in a hiss.  
  
"He must not come in.Leave the doors locked, make sure he doesn't get in through the windows!"  
  
Footsteps came towards the window but Sage didn't move. He could hear a latch being turned, the click confirming that the window was now inaccessible. There were more footsteps as Rowen, or his visitor walked through the house, obviously locking the windows. Now what was he going to do, he couldn't get in that way.  
  
Slowly, cautiously, Sage stood up and peered into the house, but neither Rowen or his guest was in sight. He had to find out who that other person was. Many of the things going through his mind troubled him and he did his best to block them all. What Rowen was doing hanging out with a strange man, he could only guess, and he didn't want to.  
  
He snuck around the house, gazing into all of the windows, attempting to catch a glimpse of the rough voiced man. It was all a waste of time, no one but Rowen was inside. No one.but.Rowen.It struck him like a lightening bolt, nearly falling backwards when he realized. "It can't be.no.how could it be possible!"  
  
A/N: Well, what did you think of that for an ending of the first chapter? Pretty tense neh? I'm not really sure if I liked giving it away so soon.but.it works I guess.If you haven't been able to guess what is going on.all the more good for me! (Don't worry, you will find out what's going on after a while alright?)  
  
I know that I skipped the whole assembly thing that usually takes place on the first day of school.(at least in the American schools.) but it wouldn't have worked for this story anyway.  
  
As for the rest of this story, if anyone has anything they'd like to suggest for it, feel free to tell me, I'm open to ideas.  
  
I hope to rewrite the majority of this chapter, except the last scene, because I have accumulated a new style of writing, and the majority of this chapter doesn't have it. It will be a better story if I do this!  
  
Ep! This is getting to be a long author's note! Well until next chapter! Thanks for reading everyone! As well as a thank you to everyone who reviewed! 


End file.
